| Abstract: |
This paper discusses human permanent molars from the Bronze to Iron Age found at Blandongan Temple in West Java, retrieved in 2003, 2008, and 2010, and includes metrical comparisons made with several molars from Mesolithic and Neolithic samples from Java. Our results show that the Blandongan molars are relatively smaller than comparative material. We suggest that this fact demonstrates a diachronic molar size change from prehistoric to historical time in Java, due to a mutual links between cultural, nutritional and environmental backgrounds. Meanwhile, based on the study of the molar morphological traits, we have come to the conclusion that the Blandongan materials are from descendants of Malay or southern Mongoloid people who experienced genetic influences from immigrants from the north.
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